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Thyme (Thymus spp.) is an aromatic herb that grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9. It’s a hardy perennial grown for its attractive foliage as well as for its culinary uses. More than 220 varieties of thyme are known to exist.

Thyme Flowers

The flowers on thyme are typically lavender-colored and edible. They grow at the top of the stems in a sphere-shape with elongated verticillaster. In nature, the flowering season is from May to September. Thyme is easy to care for once it’s established, and it tolerates drought conditions. It requires minimal watering and upkeep once it’s fully grown.

Thyme produces flowers abundantly, and the blooming period is long. To eat them, use the flowers as a garnish while they’re still attached to the stem. You can also break them up and sprinkle them over a dish. Thyme flowers add a lemony flavor to dishes, and some culinary applications recommend using them to make a flavored butter. In some regions of the world, thyme flowers are used as medicine. In the Alpine regions of Italy, they’re used to treat rheumatism.

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Eating Thyme

If you don’t want to eat the flowers, harvest the stem and the leaves before the thyme blooms. Dry them by hanging them upside-down in a dark room until they dry completely. When they’re dry, it’s easy to strip the leaves off the stems.

Creeping Thyme Lawn

Creeping thyme (Thymus praecox) is an attractive and viable lawn cover in many parts of the United States, and it grows in hardiness zones 4 through 9. A creeping thyme lawn can help deter pests, and it can provide an aromatic ground cover all year-round.

When you’re xeriscaping, or growing with minimal water, a creeping thyme lawn offers a beautiful and hardy alternative to plants that might not be edible. Creeping thyme works well around stepping stones or rock walkways. In places where foot traffic is minimal, it can be used as a substitute for turf.

Spicy orange (Thymus ‘Spicy Orange’) creeping thyme is one type of creeping thyme. It produces tiny pink flowers and has a dense mat of foliage, which emits an orange-spice scent when it’s crushed. This type of thyme can be grown either indoors or outdoors.

Purple carpet creeping thyme (Thymus praecox) is another variety of thyme you can use, which grows in U.S. Hardiness regions 4 to 9. It’s a dense ground cover that produces purple flowers and vibrant purple flowers.

Growing Thyme From Seed

To start a thyme crop, consider growing thyme from seed. Seed should be started in the spring in most climates because germinating the seeds indoors has the best results in frost-prone climates. Plants will germinate in one to 12 weeks.

Thyme seeds are tiny. For best results and optimal germination, sprinkle the seeds along with a thin layer of soil. They do best in well-drained soil with abundant sun. Keep them on the dry side. Thyme is suited for a Mediterranean climate, so keep this in mind while you're cultivating it. They’re native to the Mediterranean regions of Europe, Africa and Asia.

Plant the seeds 1/4 inch deep in rows varying from 16 to 24 inches apart. Thin the plants when the seedlings are about 3 inches tall. They can reach a maximum height of about a foot.

Seeds will germinate any time between one to 12 weeks. Companion plants for thyme include its cousins from the Lamiaceae family, such as mint and lavender. You can also companion plant thyme with eggplant and cabbage.